School Integration Efforts Three Years After PICS Ruling

Date Published:
July 01, 2010

Authors Adai Tefera, Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, and Erica Frankenberg synthesize major themes in local policymaking during the last year, as local school districts continue to grapple with legal and economic constraints on policies aimed at creating diverse schools.

In School Integration Efforts Three Years After "Parents Involved," the authors review the impact of the Parents Involved decision. Three years ago this week, the U.S. Supreme Court released its 5-4 decision overturning Louisville and Seattle's voluntarily implemented integration plans and threatening many voluntary plans across the country. The Parents Involved decision, issued on June 28, 2007, reflected a divided Supreme Court with four justices strongly supporting these voluntary plans and four justices strongly opposed. Justice Kennedy’s opinion decided the issues and explicitly accepted some kinds of desegregation efforts. The divided decision confused many educators and it was somewhat unclear what did remain legal. This report synthesizes major themes in local policymaking during the last year, as local school districts continue to grapple with legal and economic constraints on policies aimed at creating diverse schools.